Campodolcino, Italy: travel guide to the Valle Spluga village and the Via Spluga trail

Campodolcino is a mountain village in the province of Sondrio, in Lombardy, set in the Valle Spluga, also known as the Val San Giacomo, in the far north of Italy near the Swiss border. With around 1,000 inhabitants, it lies on the river Liro along the historic road to the Splügen Pass, a place of passage between Italy and the Alps since Roman times.

For travellers searching for Campodolcino, the Valle Spluga, the Via Spluga or skiing near Madesimo, it offers mountain scenery, history and year-round outdoor activities.

History

Probably of Roman origin as a staging post on the Splügen route, Campodolcino is first recorded by name in 1186 and became the chief town of the Val San Giacomo in the 17th century under the rule of the Grisons of Switzerland. Among its hamlets is Fraciscio, the birthplace of Saint Luigi Guanella. The village is an important stage on the Via Spluga, the historic route linking Thusis in Switzerland with Chiavenna, now a celebrated long-distance walking trail through history and dramatic landscapes.

Skiing and the outdoors

The hamlet of Motta, reached in minutes by the underground Sky Express funicular, has ski lifts and forms part of the Valchiavenna ski area together with neighbouring Madesimo. In summer the surrounding valleys, alpine lakes and peaks offer excellent walking and cycling, and the local Museum of the Via Spluga and the Val San Giacomo tells the story of the route.

Practical information

Campodolcino lies about 12 kilometres north of Chiavenna, close to the Splügen Pass and the Swiss frontier, and within reach of Lake Como and the Valtellina, making it a fine base for both winter sports and summer mountain holidays.